Hi it's Shohei.
A few days ago, an item that a customer had ordered realized me once again the appeal of custom-made items. I asked the customer to allow me to introduce it because I had been looking forward to the completion as if I ordered it.
About our made to order service, please refer to this article.
Let's look at the product.
"Fools dance and fools watch, if both are fools, you might as well dance"
A customer who comes to the store every month asked me, "Can you make an Obi with SAKIORI? My response was something like, "What is an Obi?
What he meant was an authentic Obi for Kimono. He told me he was a member of Awa-Odori(*1) dance team called "Ren".
(*1) The most famous traditional dance in Japan. It is originated in Tokushima prefecture where the home town of Japanese indigo and Taku, the director of KUON. The headline is from the most popular chant.
They usually dance in matching Kimonos, and the Obi (belt) is only part they can arrange by themselves.
Specifications
Originally, he told me that he wanted to make an Obi with SAKIORI, but there are many kinds of SAKIORI, such as vintage ones and the ones that KUON has produced in the past. Among them, he liked the SAKIORI produced for our FW19 collection.
After the fabric was decided, we had meetings with him as having test samples to decide its size, lining and minor details again and again.
It is important for the obi to look good, but it is also important to be able to hold kimono and body firmly. This is because Awa Odori is a tougher dance than you might think.
Completion of the made-to-order Obi
After the obi was completed, we asked the customer to bring his Kimono and accessories and wear them in order to see how it actually fits.
In his Kimono uniform for Awa-Odori dance. Looks cool!
When he dance, he tucks the hem into Obi.
What do you think is in the gourd-shaped object called an "Inro" that is hang from the Obi?
The answer is "a candy" that prevent heatstroke. FYI, Inro is originally invented to carry medicine.
We are very happy that he chose KUON's custom-made service to make his Obi, which is probably the most important accessory among all these special accessories.
Although the Awa Odori dance festival has been held in a smaller scale due to the pandemic, this custom-made obi has made me want to go and see it.
If you are interested in KUON's made-to-order service, please feel free to contact us, and we will be happy to provide you a special and luxurious experience.
This is the last article in 2021
Thank you for reading KUON blogs. This is the last blog updates in 2021. I'm really happy that many people reads my blogs and visit me at the store.
As we announced, we'll be re-open on the 5th of January, 2022. We hope the coming new year will be better for all of you.
"Yoi Otoshi wo!!"
